WATER GARDENS

Water Garden Pond Supply, Products, Tips & Resources for the Pond Enthusiast.

A water feature has many benefits and many “would be water garden owners” deprive themselves from the endless enjoyment due to Common Misconceptions of Water Gardens.

Water gardens are a container for a large variety of plants in many textures and with a huge selection of flowers.

Water gardens are less maintenance than a lawn. A properly designed water garden is home to all sorts of great pets.

The Relaxing sounds and mesmerizing visual efects of falling water calls in an abundace of all sorts of wildlife.

POND LOCATION

The more sun a location gets the more your water plant flowers will bloom but also more ALGAE. Less sun makes more leaves. An area that gets partial sun and shade is ideal.

Now adays with the use of POND SKIMMERS, If you have adequate circulation it will clean the waters surface into a net before leaves and needles have a chance to sink to the bottom making tree locations more practical than ever before although roots can be a concern. If a water garden is to be built directly over roots a POND LINER is the obvious choice.

With ARTIFICIAL ROCK a pond can be raised above ground level and still look natural by creating a mountainous style. Waterfalls of any size can be built on flat lot's. 360 deg. views can be achieved with Asian style islands. Formal pools look nice with columnar basalt fountains. Natural looking rock patios can overhang the pools edge creating a koi fish hangout.

The possibilities are endless!

POND MATERIALS

A POND LINER is supposed to last about 20 years, if all goes well, so if your thinking of having a 12 ton water feature built on top of your garden pool, you will probably want the pond made of concrete. With todays available supplies a properly built concrete pond will last for generations and in the event of dammage it can be effectivley repaiered. Having said that, Pond liners do have their place. Over tree roots, in less permanent designs or long skinny runs such as a garden stream. Artificial rock can be built over a pond liner but I recommend one that could be removed so the liner could be replaced if needed.

HOW BIG OF A WATER FEATURE?

Generaly a larger volume of water is easier to reach the proper eco-balance and so easier to maintain.

If you plan on keeping fish, the depth needs to be about a foot below the ice thickness in your area unless you use a de-icer.

The pond will shrink a lot in appearance when you start loading it up with water plants so keep this in mind when laying out your water garden.

WATERFALLS (Photo B)

waterfalls are a great way to circulate a ponds water and I would consider it a must for Koi ponds. A bio filter can be hidden in a waterfall and falling water is an excellent way to pump oxygen into the water. Not to mention the sights and sounds which are not only pleasing to us but also the creatures it attracts.

POND PUMPS

The POND PUMP can be a large initial investment, however the newer designs cost very little to operate and are built for constant operation.

Unless you have a very large water feature I recommend a submersible pump that can be hidden in a POND SKIMMER. It's quiet and easy to install.

While the newer pump hoses are convienient for their flexibility, they are also quite expensive. The nice thing is, standard PVC fittings can be glued right to them so you can use a section of the flexible stuff near the pond pump where you need it to bend then switch over to the less expensive PVC for the rest of the run.

POND FILTERS

Mechanical Filters~ basically some sort of a strainer.

Bio-Filters~ A container with some sort of medium (lava rock works well) for beneficial bacteria to grow in. The bacteria feeds on ammonia and converts it into nitrates used by plants and fish. A bio-filter takes time to begin working properly and if the pond pump is shut off for even 5 or 6 hours the bacteria can die and the system will have to start over again from scratch.

UV ULTRA VIOLET POND FILTERS ~ Water is pumped through an ultra violet light which kills free floating algae. The wattage of the bulb and the flow of water are balanced with the gallons of water in the pond and so usually a slower pump than the waterfall needs is required meaning a secondary pond pump to opperate the UV filter.

POND SKIMMERS (Photo C)

A skimmer sucks the water from the surface of the pool and catches the junk before it sinks to the bottom in a easily cleaned basket or net and also keeps the water temperature a bit cooler which is good for algae control.

AQUATIC WATER PLANTS IN YOUR POND (Photo D)

Water plants add color, texture and fragrance to your water garden. They shade out algae, cool the water, provide oxygen and create hide-out's for koi & gold fish.

FISH & OTHER POND CRITTERS

Fish are more easily kept than people might think and they have many benefits. They add life color and movement to your garden and nutrients to your plants. They make excellent pets (photo E) and they eat MOSQUITO LARVAE that might have otherwise been hatched out in a tire or puddle.

Racoons can be kept from eating your fish simply by making it to deep for them to wade in. Eagles (photo F) have to be able to have a large clear swath to swoop through before you need to worry about them. Blue heron damage can be minimized by overhangs or caves for the koi fish or gold fish to hide in or under.

Turtles can be trained to eat out of your hand and can be kept in the pond area with the surrounding rock design.

POND MAINTENANCE

Blanket ALGAE is the biggest job. It is beneficial on the side and bottom of the pond but will need to be manually removed from waterfalls, streams and pond SKIMMERS before it changes the water flow. If you don’t have to worry about children, Making the pond deep with vertical sides will make the algae much less of a nuisance. But don’t forget to build in water plant shelves.

Some people occasionally add fertilizer tablets to their water plants which is a good way to fertilize the roots of the water plant without fertilizing the algae in the pond. Snipping out dead leaves and flowers and thinning plants will keep your pond looking it's best.

By Aaron Jones (c)

Please be a responsible gardener and do not allow non native plants & fish to escape their contained environment!

A Hidden Haven Bed & Breakfast Inn

Stone Craft Artificial Rock

Columnar Basalt Fountain

ARTIFICIAL ROCK WATER-FALL

Stone Craft Internal Links:

Water Garden Gallery
Artificial rock water feature pictures. Stone Craft Landscaping portfolio.

Algae Problems ?
Having a battle with green pond water? Here is an article with some great tips for clear water in your water garden.

Aquatic Water Plants
Aquatic water plants for sale at great prices with a huge selection!

Artificial Rock Vrs. Real
Thinking of a installing a water feature in your yard? Check out the benefits of artificial rock.

Common Misconceptions of Water Gardens
Here are some poor excuses to put off installing that water garden again.

Fountains
Want a fountain? Buy one here or get a how to build a fountain book and do it yourself.

Garden Bridges
Great prices on quality wooden garden bridges for sale.

Install A Water Feature
How to install a water feature article to help you in creating your own pond.

(A)

(B)

Koi Fish
Koi fish make excellent pets. They can grow to over 30” long! Koi fish become tame over time and will hang out near the edge of the pond next to you, allowing you to pet them & eating out of your hand.

Get your live Koi fish and supplies here at discount prices, sometimes even below wholesale!

Mosquito Control
Here is a mosquito trap you can build yourself and get more enjoyment out of than you ever imagined.

Pond Benefits
If your having a battle with your spouse on installing a water feature, here’s some helpful tips to throw at them.

Pond Liner
Build your own pond with a pond liner. You can purchase them here at huge discounts. Sometimes even below wholesale prices!

Pond Pumps
A huge selection of brand name pond pumps at discount prices.

Pond Skimmers
Pond skimmers take a lot of maintenance out of owning a pond. They keep the surface clear and greatly reduce the junk that ends up on the bottom. Check out some other prices then purchase them here and save!

(D)

STONE CRAFT LANDSCAPING Artificial Rock
Learn about artificial rock and it’s benefits, look at some pictures, see the installation process or hire Stone Craft Landscaping to custom build some in your yard.

UV ultra violet sterilizer filters
A U.V. filter is the most foolproof way to eliminate green pond water. Make sure you get the right size or watts for the water volume in your pond. You can purchase U.V. Filters here at huge discounts!

(E) Blue Gill

(F) Bald Eagle

Photo By Chris Jones

Water Garden Books
Water garden books provide expert advise, inspirational pictures, how to articles and years of enjoyment. Here is a selection of some for sale with great reviews.

Water Garden Style
Designing a water garden is about being observant in natural settings and then using your imagination in the yard to re-create your experience.

Water Plants
A huge selection of aquatic water plants at great prices.

Water Garden Links External Sites:

Container Water Garden
How to build a container garden. Build your own simple water garden to bring the sights and sounds of a water feature into your garden. Plant selections, Diagrams, and a picture gallery.

WATER PLANT INFO.
A valuable aquatic plant dictionary. Alphabetically listed botanical names with common names. Descriptions, information, hardiness zones, and pictures for making a selection or water plant identification.

TURTLESALE.COM LIVE TURTLES SUPPLIES & INFO.
Turtle supplies & accessories, care, instructions and live turtles for sale.

NATURAL RESOURCES CONSERVATION BACK YARD PONDS
What the DNRCS has to say about backyard ponds.

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